Football: Arsenal defender Jenkinson loaned to West Ham

Arsenal's English midfielder Jack Wilshere, (left) English defender Carl Jenkinson, (second left) English forward Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (second right) and German midfielder Mesut Ozil (right) take part in a training session at their London Colney training ground in north London on May 14, 2014. -- PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - West Ham signed Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson on a season-long loan on Thursday becoming the Hammers' sixth new face this summer.

Jenkinson, 22, joined Arsenal from Charlton in 2011 and earned his only England cap against Sweden 18 months later.

"I'm clearly seen as a big part of things here and hopefully I can prove my worth because it is an important year for me," said Jenkinson, who joins Mauro Zarate, Enner Valencia, Cheikhou Kouyate, Aaron Cresswell and Diego Poyet in a new-look West Ham squad.

"I was flattered to have a lot of options but deep down, if I was being honest with myself, West Ham was always the place I wanted to go to.